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Sunday, 3 February 2008

Disregarding a chance

Call it luck or give it some other name when an opportunity comes your way and you either don't take notice of it or just ignore and disregard it. Such a behaviour only compels a person to feel that possibly luck is the factor that works in different situations. Returning from a long outing by train, I had to take a bus from the railway station to join my new assignment in a remote rural area where I could reach in odd hours around 3am. It was shivering cold of a chilly winter. When I got down from the bus I noticed a beggar covering himself with a rotten blanket haggardly stretching his palms for some alms hardly getting any response from the passengers. I felt moved and offered him a one rupee coin which in those days was enough for a cup of tea with some eatables. He got angry and, fiercely gazing at me, started hurling his choicest abuses on me throwing away the coin I gave him into the bushes nearby. Unable to make out as to what could be the reason that caused him so much of provocation to behave this way I opted to keep quiet. Shivering and crying he was non stop continuing his abuses on me. He got further furious when I tried to ask him politely the reason of his anger. He roared at me telling 'you guys take pleasure in insulting the beggars. Why can't you fellows give me atleast a five rupee note?. I was shocked on this kind of a reaction on his part. I was told by some locals that he behaved like this with every body and whatever money he is asking for is not to be used for a cup of tea or some breads, instead it was to purchase some wine. I was also told that for days together he doesn't take any food but can't live without wine. The whole day and even thereafter I felt engrossed in thinking whom to blame for this. Possibly none excepting himself as it was he to direct a system to his life and no body else. Others could only assist him but if the assistance so offered was not accepted in a proper direction, what else others could be expected to do. Branding such a state of living as a matter of luck can't be justified as the terms if very often used as an excuse only. Luck is one phenomenon and no intentional lethargy or inaction on the part of an individual can be taken at par with it.